"This is Onew. He is your bodyguard."

Did you know there are seven billion people in the world? So why did it had to be Onew, his former home teacher? A ton of questions filled Taemin's mind but the most important one was "How was he getting out of this mess... alive?" Onew's staring paralyzed the younger boy's body.

"Do you know him?" Minho repeated. Taemin held his breath. His chest ached.

...

"No I don't," answered Onew dryly. Now it was Taemin staring at Onew.

"How? How did you forget someone you had spent 3 years with? And how could someone like Jinki end up here? What was his relationship to Minho? Was this Onew guy even his Jinki hyung?" Taemin's head was overheating with questions he couldn't answer.

When Minho finally left, Taemin saw his chance to talk to Jinki, or Onew, or whoever this person really was.

"You – " His voice faltered. Onew interrupted him.

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing here... Taemin?" Taemin gasped.

"You're really Jinki hyung?"

"Who else could I be? Answer me, Taemin. Why are you here? Do you know what kind of place this is? Why do they think you're Kim Kibum?"

You might call him naive but at that moment Taemin knew very well it could be a huge mistake to tell Jinki the truth, considering the whole situation. Yet he had always been one those people who relied on their feelings and right now he felt he could trust Jinki.

"What? How could you run away?" Onew spoke through his hands on his face.

Taemin laughed lightly. That had always been Onew's way to say Taemin was hopeless. He often did that when Taemin made a stupid mistake. After all that had happened, seeing something so familiar made Taemin feel much better. He couldn't help but embrace his friend.

"I'm so glad you're here."

Onew gently patted Taemin's head. He wasn't surprised by the younger's action. Taemin had never hesitated to show his feelings and that was what made him so unique.

"It's very nice to see again. I can't say I'm glad to see you here though. I don't like the fact that you're here a bit. The Choi's residence is not a place where you can come and go as you please," Onew replied.

"Who exactly are those people? Tell me, please. And how come you're here?" Taemin asked, stepping back.

"Well, have you ever heard of the Three Colors of the Underworld?"

"You mean the three biggest syndicates of Korea? Basically, nothing but that's a very cheesy name for gangs."

"Taemin, you can't underestimate them."

"I don't. Tell me about them."

"Well, the Three Colors of the Underworld are the Black Lotus, the White Snake and the Red Devils; they have been rivals for decades. But last year the Red Devils started to cooperate with a Japanese gang and they gained a lot of influence. As a consequence, the Black Lotus and the White Snake have to work together to keep the balance. But it's not easy to suddenly end animosity for good. The members still couldn't trust each other."

"The marriage, don't tell me..."

"Yes... The leaders decided to let their heirs marry as a sign of a new big family. That's why Choi Minho - who is, by the way, the White Snake's heir - was forced to marry Kim Kibum, the Black Lotus' heir. That means you'll be in big trouble once they find out you are not Kim Kibum."

"It was a stupid mistake," Taemin said and silence followed. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. Who did Minho think he was? "Stupid mistake" was a huge understatement.

"But I still don't get what you're doing here?" Taemin asked after a while.

"Uhm, well I am ..." Jinki signaled Taemin to come closer to whisper in his ear.

"Undercover."

"Un-" Taemin almost yelled loudly. Luckily Onew managed to put his hand on his mouth.

"You don't have to let everybody know about that. I'll be in trouble." The older boy spoke under his breath.

"I'm sorry."

Then Taemin couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"What's so funny?" Onew asked.

"I just still can't believe you actually became an officer and you are even undercover," Taemin answered, whispering the U word.

"Maybe it's because I have a criminal's face?" the older joked, making Taemin laugh again.

"Yeah, it's written on your forehead: 'I'm a criminal. I'd steal your last cookie while you're doing your homework.'"

"You still remember that?" Onew cackled, putting his hand on his mouth to stifle his laughter.

"You're so cute," he added. But then his expression turned serious.

"Listen, Taemin, I'll get you out of here. Don't worry. I'll arrange everything tomorrow and you'll get home safely very soon. So please bear with this place for a few days. I promise nothing is gonna happen to you. Do you trust me?"

Taemin nodded.

"Good, you should go to sleep now. I'll leave now but I'll be back in the morning."

"Hyung, thank you. I don't know what to say, only that I am really thankful." Taemin said.

"Don't think too much. Take some rest, ok? Goodnight."

"Goodnight, hyung."

Minho dropped himself onto the bed. It surprised him how tired he was. He stared at the ceiling with half-closed eyes, wondering if Kim Kibum – the man he just married was really 24. He looked like a teenager, way too young.

"I feel like a e. It's not like I was going to lay my hands on him. I love s too much to be gay." he thought. "But he was pretty different from my imagination."

Then, he remembered how scared Taemin looked when he threatened the younger boy. "I didn't expect him to be so young. Maybe I overdid it a bit?"

"Whatever." He groaned, pulled the blanket over his shoulder and fell asleep.

Pulling the cover over his head, Taemin hoped that if he couldn't see this strange room, all that happened could be a dream. He tried to silence his mind. When morning came, it felt like he hardly got any sleep. His head ached terribly and his eyes burned. His throat was dry. He walked downstairs to get himself some water. He remembered seeing the kitchen when he was taken to his room.

"Maybe Minho isn't up yet. I should be quiet," Taemin thought.

He drank up the glass of water and carefully put it down on the kitchen counter. He was suddenly reminded of his mother. It was her who told him to drink water when he woke up because it was healthy. It had now become a habit.

"Mom," he murmured. He missed her, and he missed his dad.

"Would they be mad if I came back like this? They would probably be very disappointed."

"You're up already? Could you sleep?" Taemin flinched as he heard someone's footsteps, but he relaxed again as he recognized Onew's voice.

"Jinki hyung, good morning," he greeted.

"Good morning," the older boy said, sitting down next to Taemin.

"Please do me a favor and call me Onew, ok? That's my name here," he said.

"Oh right, sorry hyung."

"And I'll call you Kibum. It's your name, don't forget that."

"Uhm, I won't." Taemin nodded.

"Well, I'll make us something for breakfast."

"Maybe I should ask Minho if he wants to join us?" Taemin said uncertainly. That froze Onew for a short moment.

"No need," he replied. "He left early, and he doesn't eat in the morning anyway."

"That's not healthy though," the younger said.

"Don't worry. He's very fit."

About fifteen minutes later, Onew placed two bowls of fried rice on the table. "Taemin, I have to meet a friend. He's going to take care of your problem, so I won't be home till evening. Minho will be out till then as well. That's why you don't have to worry. Except for the guards outside, you're here alone. Is that ok?" Onew asked.

"I'd rather accompany you, hyung."

"I don't think that's a good idea. It's too dangerous for you."

"I'm not a kid anymore. I'm 20, almost 21 now."

"It's not about age. It's just better if you don't know much, got it?" Onew explained.

"Yes." The younger boy pouted.

Taemin sighed. Onew had to leave right after breakfast. "What am I going to do the whole day?" He thought. After putting the dishes in the dishwasher, he decided to explore the Choi residence. That seemed like the most exciting thing he could do at the moment.

The house was huge. Even the garden and the pool were so big you couldn't see the neighbor's house if there was one. The concept was modern and simple but classy. There were a lot of glass doors and walls that let the sun lighten up the house. The glass made Taemin feel like there were neither doors nor walls around him as if he was free.

Such an irony.

Taemin started in the kitchen. Next to it were the dining room and the living room. The kitchen was directly connected to the backyard while the living room led to the pool. Down the corridor, there were the guest's bathroom and a fitness room with a huge mat in the middle for martial arts training.

Upstairs on the right was his room. It was big but simply decorated; that gave it a spacious feeling. He was glad about that. He had his own bathroom too. His room had only a few main colors, but in contrast with the rest of the house, they were pale. White, pastel grey and blue made him feel calm. The Choi residence was covered in black and grey. There were barely any joyful colors.

The next door was open, so he entered the room. It seemed like an office. "It must be Minho's," he thought. It had a great view of the garden and even a daybed on the balcony. The left half of the room looked like a mini living room with a couch and a flat screen on the wall, while the other half was more like an office with a large bookshelf. The number of books on it fascinated Taemin. There were a lot of different kinds of books and DVDs: books about economics, juristic and general reference works, biographies, detective novels, and what Taemin liked the most, psychology books. Minho's DVD collection was also pretty impressive. He had every Bruce Lee movies and plenty of other action movies.

The last door was surely Minho's bedroom. Taemin wondered what it looked like. Was it like the rest of the house? Or maybe more colorful? Did he have any family pictures in there? Because there wasn't a single one in the whole house.

"Maybe he has a huge Bruce Lee poster on the wall," Taemin giggled.

But the boy ended his "discovery tour" in Minho's office. "He wouldn't mind if I borrow a book, right?" Taemin thought as he took one from the shelf.

"The best of behavior research and therapy?" he read out loud.

"Jackpot," he beamed.

After eating lunch, Taemin fell asleep. He was finally tired enough to force his mind to take a break from worrying. He wasn't sure how long he had been sleeping, but his eyes immediately darted open when he heard a gunshot. He rushed down the corridor and saw Jinki running upstairs. He followed the older boy to Minho's office. His eyes widened and he tried to catch his breath. On the floor, a middle-aged man was bleeding, a paper knife stuck in his belly. Within a second Minho's guards were there, and they subdued the man.

"Keep him alive. I want to talk to him later," Minho commanded. For a short moment, he couldn't hide his surprise as he saw Taemin at the door. However, he was never one of those people who let the world see what they were thinking. So why should he start doing it now?

"This is what awaits you if any of you ever betray me," he added coldly, and he left the room. Walking by Taemin, he didn't even look at his so-called husband.

"Here, drink up. It'll calm you down." Onew handed Taemin a cup of tea. The younger boy could still feel his hands trembling.

"Hyung," Taemin called. "When can I go home? I don't want to stay here anymore. I miss my parents and I hate this place." He started to panic.

"Hey, listen to me. This usually doesn't happen. The whole gang was having a crisis because of a traitor who changed to the Red Devils' side. Minho must have found him," Onew explained.

"What will they do to him?"

Onew sighed. "Well Minho said he wanted him alive, so he'll undergo surgery. I guess they are going to interrogate him tomorrow when he's conscious."

"Are they going to kill him?"

"Taemin, that is-"

"They are, aren't they? If he doesn't tell them what they want to know, they'll kill him. And if he does, he'll be useless. They'll kill him too. Right?"

"I'll think of something. If there's no other way, my colleagues will come in."

"You won't let him die?"

"Of course not, what do you think of me? I'm still an ... you know what I mean and every life matters, even that of a criminal," Onew said.

"But won't you be uncovered, if you save him? All of your efforts will be wasted."

"Let me worry about it, ok? More important is that I've planned your escape for tomorrow, but the incident earlier changes everything. We'll leave tonight while everyone is still distracted."

"Really?"

Taemin still couldn't believe it as he stood in front of a jet. Only a few more minutes and he'll be heading back to America, to his parents. After Onew introduced him to his friend, who was also the pilot, Taemin hugged his hyung tightly.

"Thank you, hyung. I'm very sorry for all the troubles."

"It's fine. Get home safe and listen to your parents this time, do you hear me?" The older boy welcomed the embrace.

"I will. Despite the circumstances, I'm really glad to see you again. Please be safe," Taemin said.

"It was really nice to see you too. Now go."

Taemin stepped onto the stairs. His mind couldn't stop worrying about Onew though. Was he being too selfish? After all the troubles he caused, he just had to go on this jet and he could leave everything behind. As if none of this had ever happened. But what would happen to the people who stayed? Minho stabbed a man because he betrayed him. What would Minho do to Jinki, when he found out about this? Jinki would lose the trust he'd worked so hard on. But what could he do if I stay?

"This is what awaits you if any of you ever betray me." Minho's word suddenly came to his mind.

Taemin shut his eyes.

"I can't leave like a coward and let him settle my mess." He groaned.

"What's wrong?" Onew asked when he saw that Taemin had stopped moving. The younger boy turned around.

"I can't leave," he stated.

"What?" Jinki questioned in disbelief.

"I can't risk your life for my safety, especially not when I caused the problem on my own."

"Taemin, don't be stupid. Do you even know what you're doing? Are you aware of what could happen to you, if you stay?"

"I am, but I can't leave like this. You'll be in trouble because of me. You're supposed to babysit me, remember?"

"And how will you get out of that dangerous place, if not now?"

"I'll think of something. What'll happen to you once Minho finds out you let me go? Or even worse, what if he finds out you helped me escape?"

"Let me worry about that-"

"No, I can't let people sacrifice themselves to protect me. I can't let that happen again," Taemin said clearly.

"Taemin," His outburst left Onew speechless.

"Let's go back, hyung," the younger boy said determinedly. At that point, Jinki knew there wasn't a point in arguing. All he could do now was add Taemin's protection to his mission.

Taemin opened the door to the roof garden. He needed some fresh air to calm his mind. Jinki was right; this decision would probably be the stupidest one he had ever made. And for some reason, he felt like he was going to pay for that soon.

The roof was neatly lit up. Even though it was after midnight, it wasn't difficult to see things clearly. Taemin immediately spotted Minho, who was sitting on the sofa. The older boy was trying to clean the wound on his right upper arm, but it wasn't working out very well.

"Do you need some help?" Taemin asked. Minho turned around and gave his husband a cold glance as he recognized him.

"No," he said dryly. Taemin sat down.

"Let me help, you'll make it worse."

"I said no need," Minho repeated. Ignoring him, Taemin grabbed the disinfectant and started to clean Minho's wound carefully.

"Tsk, so annoying," murmured Minho, yet he still let the other boy give him a hand. When he felt Taemin fiercely staring at his arm, he asked,

"What? Never seen a gunshot wound before?"

A gunshot wound?

How could Taemin forget about it? He had sensed something was odd. When they rushed into the office and saw the man bleeding, no one thought of the gunshot anymore. But why would Minho attack him with a paperknife when he had a gun? Was the gun on the floor even his?

"Thinking about it, the gun could also belong to the other man," Taemin thought.

Now he remembered. The vase behind Minho had been broken. Could that mean Minho was shot? If that was true, stabbing the older man could have been his only defense.

"Is it possible-" Taemin raised his head to look at Minho. "Is it possible that he's not a bad person?"

As if Minho could feel Taemin's eyes on him, he turned to Taemin and their eyes met. He thought the younger boy would look away within a second - like everybody did. Yet he didn't.

Then, in a flash Minho stood up, leaving the roof. "Thanks," he said while walking away.

"You're welcome," Taemin mumbled. He now noticed how hot his face felt. He was blushing.

Minho slammed the door to his bedroom shut and leaned against it.

"What the hell was that?"

He couldn't believe for a moment he thought "Kibum" was quite pretty. And that look in his eyes; there wasn't fear, or lust, or disgust, unlike when other people looked at him. "Kibum's" eyes were clear, pure. It felt like they weren't judging him.

Minho didn't know why but it made him want to show the younger boy a Minho nobody had seen before, a Minho only he could see.

 

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